César Puello’s walk-off double helped the Syracuse Mets complete a four-run comeback in game two of Thursday’s doubleheader against the Rochester Red Wings as the Mets came out on top in game two with a 6-5 extra-inning win after falling in game one to the Red Wings, 4-1.
In game two, Puello came to the plate in the bottom of the eighth with one-out and Khalil Lee at second base, delivering with a game-winning RBI double to deep right field to give the Mets their first extra-inning win of the season.
In game one, Rochester (22-29) struck first with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning. Jake Noll led off with a single. After Brandon Snyder struck out, Tres Berrera singled. Cody Wilson then drew a walk to load the bases with one out. The pitcher, Josh Rogers, followed and delivered with a two-run single to put Rochester out in front, 2-0.
Syracuse (14-36) got on the board in the bottom of the second thanks to three straight singles. With one out, Cameron Maybin and Martin Cervenka singled. Then Wilfredo Tovar singled to score Maybin and cut the deficit in half, 2-1.
In the top of the fourth, Wilson led off the inning for Rochester with a triple to right field. Then, Rogers again delivered, as the pitcher drove in his third run of the game with a line-drive single to give the Red Wings a 3-1 lead.
Rochester added another run in the fourth off Syracuse pitcher Jésus Reyes when Yadiel Hernandez homered to left field to make it 4-1 Red Wings.
Reyes ended the evening with five innings pitched, allowing four runs on ten hits, walking two, and striking out three.
As for Rogers, not only did he get it done at the plate, but also on the mound. The Rochester starter went five innings, allowing just one run on five hits and striking out one. The 26-year-old is now 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA in three career appearances against Syracuse.
Dakota Bacus delivered two scoreless innings in relief to earn the save as Rochester took game one, 4-1.
In game two, Syracuse put the first run on the board in the bottom of the second. With two outs and nobody on base, Syracuse pitcher Robert Stock reached with an infield single. Drew Jackson followed and also singled, and then Mason Williams connected with an RBI single to score Stock and make it 1-0 Mets.
However, disaster struck in the third inning for the Syracuse. With two outs and nobody on, Hernandez hit his second homer of the night to tie the game at one. Next, Noll and Snyder both singled, putting runners at first and third base. Barrera then hit a hot shot off the shortstop Tovar that ended up down the left field line, scoring Noll as Barrera slid into second with a double to make it 2-1 Red Wings. Rafael Bautista followed and reached on a fielding error from Tovar as Snyder scored and Rochester took a 3-1 lead. Wilson then drew a walk to load the bases, and Jecksson Flores also drew a walk to score Barrera and increase the Red Wings lead to 4-1. Trey Cobb came in to relieve Stock and struck out Sterling Sharp for the final out of the inning.
In the top of the fifth, Rochester increased its lead with a Bautista solo home run to make the score 5-1 in favor of the Red Wings.
In the bottom of the fifth, Jonathan Villar, who played the first game of his Major League rehab assignment tonight, led off with a walk. After Cuthbert flew out, Sisco singled and advanced Villar to third base. Calixte then hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Villar and cut the deficit to three, 5-2. Next, Lee ripped a triple into the right-center-field gap to bring home Sisco and make it a two-run game, 5-3. Syracuse kept it going with Tovar, who singled to center to score Lee and cut the deficit to one, 5-4.
The Mets tied it up in the bottom of the sixth. Jackson led off with his third hit of the game, and with Williams at the plate, Jackson stole second. Williams then came up big with a game-tying single to score Jackson and make it 5-5.
Doubleheaders are two seven-inning games instead of nine-inning contests, so with game two tied after seven innings, the game went into extra innings in the eighth. Marcel Rentería delivered a 1-2-3 top of the eighth inning to keep the game tied at five.
In the bottom of the eighth, Lee started as the runner at second for Syracuse. After Tovar grounded out, Puello delivered with the game-winner, a drive to deep right field over Hernandez’s head as Lee came home to score, and Syracuse won, 6-5. Puello continues to produce for the Mets. The outfielder now has four RBIs in his last four games.
The Mets will look for another win on Friday when right-hander Akeem Bostick takes the mound for Syracuse against Rochester right-hander Tyler Eppler. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. as Independence Day weekend begins at NBT Bank Stadium.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].